I'd say S30V for both questions in my experience. D2 is not far enough behind to be very significant in edge keeping but in my own trials cutting hemp rope, carpet remnants and other things I've used to test edges I'd have to give the edge to the S30V and I'd say that in contrast S30V also has more than a small edge in difficulty to get sharpened when it comes time to really need to resharpen one. Note, I'm not referring to minor touch ups here, but actual resharpening from a dull as dull can be to sharp again ready to get after it sharp. From here as your starting point I'd have to say S30V seems to have a much higher wear resistance and I've noticed this on how much it wears my Edge Pro course stone down compared to doing the same thing with other steels. I've noticed I struggle with all the SV steels, whether it is 30, 60, or 90 more than the D2 or the SG2 blades and yet I'd easily give the cutting and edge performance champ title to SG2 over all these. In fact I think SG2 is better than the ZDP189 blades I've tested but since each had very different edge geometries from one another it is hard to be 100% sure on that.
I don't want to sound all certain on that last statement though and that goes really for S90V also because I must say I was impressed with that one too and enough to buy me one from a friend made to go in a small Sebenza handle by Reese Weiland. What I'd like personally to find out more on each of these top three I'd pick as top steels is three identical knife models with identical blades, identical primary grinds and edge bevel angles, one in S90V, one in SG2, and one in ZDP189 all used on the same mediums in the same order, same amount of cuts or as close as can be mustered until dull if you catch my drift and a high mag scope to really see the edges before and after. I'd also like to then rate difficulty getting them back to sharp and retest. I'm not kidding though it would not surprise me at all if the SG2 won that contest. When I tested and retested a Kershaw Blur and JYDII frame lock in SG2 and one of Kershaw's kitchen knives using that steel I was completely amazed at the performance it gave me each time. The stuff is amazing IMO.
STR
